Free Gypsy Wedding by Kate Lace Page B

down.’
    ‘To be sure I know that, princess. Now off you go and work hard.’
    Vicky jumped out of the car and set off to her first day at college. Vicky O’Rourke, college girl! How cool was that? She was almost pinching herself as she walked down the road, slipping off her engagement ring as had become her routine. Over her shoulder she wore a big knock-off Mulberry bag that her dad had got off a mate for her specially. She loved it, and it was the finishing touch to her outfit of leopard-print blouse and black pencil skirt. If she was going to be learning with a bunch of girls planning a career in the fashion industry she needed to be on trend. Turning up in the sort of kit she’d wear at home just wasn’t going to cut it, and she’d lost the anonymity of a school uniform. But then, suppose all the other students turned up in jeans and T-shirts. Had she got it wrong? Too late to go home and change now. Her nerves got worse. The butterflies turned into great big vultures.
    Vicky’s step began to falter. What was she doing here? She was right out of her depth. What was she thinking of – a traveller girl going to sixth-form college? She stopped in the middle of the pavement as her confidence hit the ground.
    ‘Hiya, Vick!’ A shriek from across the road brought her to her senses.
    ‘Hi, Kelly.’ Oh shit, Kelly was wearing jeans.
    Kelly dodged through the slow-moving rush-hour traffic to join her friend. ‘You all right? You look all worried.’
    Vicky laughed nervously. ‘Worried? I’m shitting myself.’
    ‘Me too,’ admitted Kelly.
    The girls linked arms as they headed for the gates and their first day.
    ‘We’re going to know a loads of kids here though, aren’t we,’ said Vicky.
    Kelly nodded. ‘Loads.’
    ‘And it isn’t as if we haven’t got the grades to be here.’
    ‘Keep talking.’
    Vicky swallowed. ‘I wish I could. That’s all I can think of.’
    ‘We’re going to be okay. We’ve got each other.’
    ‘Yeah, but not in classes.’
    ‘We’ll have to arrange to meet. Lunchtime would be good.’
    The two girls got to the gates. ‘Here we go,’ said Vicky.
    ‘Shit or bust,’ Kelly said with a grimace.
    They walked across the car park and into the huge airy atrium. It was packed with teenagers and Vicky was relieved to see that her clothes were not out of place. Obviously she wasn’t the only one who didn’t have a clue what to wear on the first day. And she could also see that lots of the students looked just as nervous as she felt, although there were a few who managed to look cool and sophisticated. Kelly followed her gaze to one group that looked particularly underwhelmed.
    ‘Huh, they may look like they don’t care but check out the front of that guy’s trousers.’
    ‘Kelly? What are you like?’
    ‘Not that bit of his trousers. You have a filthy mind, Miss O’Rourke. No, look at his knees. You can see they’re shaking through the material.’
    Vicky giggled. ‘They are too.’ Instantly she felt so much better; it was immensely reassuring to know that being nervous was normal. She looked about her and saw that everyone else either seemed to be clutching information packs or were queuing up at the registration desks.
    ‘I suppose we’d better register. Make it official that we’re here.’
    The two girls made their way over to a desk staffed by a team of administrators and gave in their names and their subject choices. They were then directed to different areas of the college to meet their tutors and fellow students.
    ‘I’ll see you in the canteen at lunch,’ said Kelly as they parted.
    Vicky made her way over to the art and design faculty where the textiles department was based. She was busy looking at the signs on the doors when she almost cannoned into someone. Chloe.
    ‘Vicky. So you decided to turn up. Bit out of your league, isn’t it?’
    Vicky was taken aback; what had brought that on? She felt her jaw slacken before she pulled herself together. She